Nut-retainer.



No. 848,737. PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

M. v. GOLD EN. m1 RE A NER, APPLICATION FILED MAY 10.1906.

INVENTOR.

' ATTQRNEYS:

MARTIN V. GOLDEN, OF HOPEWELL, PENNSYLVANIA.

NUT-RETAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April :2, 1907.

Application filed May 10, 1906. erial No. 316.174.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVIARTIN V. GOLDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hopewell, in the county of Bedford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful N lit-Retainer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to nut-locks, and has for its object to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive device of this character especially designed for locking nuts on bolts used in securing fish plates or splicebars to the mating ends of track-rails.

A further object of the invention is to provide a locking-plate having a plurality of spaced recesses formed therein for the reception of the nuts and means for detachably securing the locking-plate to the splice-bar.

A. further object of the invention is to generally improve this class of devicesso as to increase their utility, durability, and efficiency, as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

IVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions, and minor details of construction may be resorted. to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the. accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a nut-lock constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the spring locking member detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The improved device is particularly designed for preventing accidental rotation of nuts used for connectingfish-plates or splicebars to the mating ends of railway-rails, and by way of illustration is shown applied to a rail of the ordinary construction, in which .5 and 6 designate the mating ends of the rails, 7 and 7 the fish-plates or splicebars pierced by the securing-bolts 9, the latter being threaded in the usual manner for the reception of the nuts 10. Mounted on the splice-bar 7 is a locking-plate 11, preferably of the same length as the splice-bar and having one longitudinal edge thereof bent laterally to form a flange 12 and its opposite longitudinal edge formed with a plurality of spaced angularly-disposed recesses 13 for the reception of the nuts 10. The opposite ends of the lock-plate 11 are formed with openings or perforations 14 for the reception of spring locking members 15. The spring locking members 15 are each preferably formed from a single piece of metal, having an intermediate portion thereof adapted to bear against one end of the adjacent splicebar and locking-plate, respectively, and its opposite ends bent to form a pair of spaced arms 16 and 170f unequal length, the arms 17 being bent inwardly to form a terminal locking-lug 18, adapted to engage the walls of the adj acent recess or perioration 14, thus clamping the locking-plate 11 in engagement with the adjacent splice-bar.

Attention is called to the fact that the longitudinal flange 12 not only serves to reinforce and strengthen the locking-plate, but also serves as a finger-piece to assist in removing the plate when it is desired to detach the splice-bars.

In using the device the locking-plate is positioned on the splice-bar with the nuts engaging the recesses 13, after which the long arm 16 of the locking member is interposed between the splice-bar and web of the rail and the short arm 17 moved longitudinally of the plate until the locking-lug 18 enters the recess 14, and in which position the intermediate portion of the locking member will bear against one end of the adjacent splicebar and locking-plate, respectively, and thus prevent accidental rotation of the several nuts on the securing-bolts. In order to remove the plate, it is merely necessary to exert an outward pull on the short arm 17 of the locking member, when the lug 18 will become disengaged from the recess 14, thus permitting the locking member to be moved longitudinally of the rails to inoperative position, so that the locking-bar may be removed from the nuts by gripping the fingerpiece or flange 12 and elevating the same vertically of the rail.

When the retainer is used in connection with rail-joints in which the nuts are ar ranged on the inner side of the rail, the flange 12 will be dispensed with or the retainer reversed and placed in position on the fishplate with the flange bearing against the minal nuts, a locking-plate having an aperrails and splice-bars, of bolts piercing the base of the same, so as to prevent the flanges on the car-Wheels from engaging the retainer and Working the latter loose.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that there is provided an extremely simple and inexpensive device admirably adapted for the attainment of the ends in vieW.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is In a nut-lock, the combination With the rails and splice-bars and provided With terture formed in one end thereof and provided With a plurality of spaced recesses for the reception of the nuts, and a locking member formed of a single piece of spring metal having an intermediate portion thereof bearing against one end of the adjacent splice-bar and locking-plate, respectively, and its opposite ends bent to forni a pair of spaced arms one of Which is interposed between the rail and the adjacent splice-bar, the opposite arm being extended longitudinally of the eX- posed face of the locking-plate and having its free end bent inwardly to form a terminal locking-lug adapted to engage the aperture in said locking-plate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

MARTIN V. GOLDEN.

WVitnesses:

G. O. EIGHELBERGER, GEORGE SPARGO. 

